Pump rod hanger



Feb. 8, 1938. A. R. MAIER I PUMP ROD HANGER Filed Nov. 6;1936

2 Sheets-Sheet l v INVENTOR.

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ATTORNEYS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

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' ATTORNEYS v v i I I l I I I I i I I i i I I I l I l I I I a. W ?%L m Y M 5 B W" W Feb. s; 1938.

Filed Nov. 6, 1956 Patented Feb. s, 1938 PATENT OFFICE PUMP ROD HANGER August R. Maier, Dallas, Tex, assignor to Oil Well Supply Company, Dallas, Tex., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 6, 1936, Serial No. 109,601

' 14 Claims. (01. 255-18) My invention relates to a hanger for suspending a pump plunger supporting means, such as sucker rods, from the actuating mechanism such as a walking beam or equivalent rock lever element of a pumping mechanism. e

Beam hangers are commonly used to connect the end of a walking beam to a polished rod which passes through a tubing packing and is connected within the tubing to sucker rods that extend downwardly therein, and connect with a pump piston located at the bottom of the well.

The entire weight of the sucker -rods and pump and the weight of the column of liquid, such as petroleum, being lifted by the pump is, therefore, supported from the hanger on the'walking beam. In the case of very deep wells this weight is very large and it is desirable to avoid anyunequal pull on the beam and. hanger since,

because of the great weight of the suspended rods and liquid being pumped, such inequality would greatly increase the wear of the bearings and lead to early failureof themoving parts.

My present invention provides a hanger mechanism in which inequality of pull and unequal wear are greatly reduced or eliminated, which can be readily and accurately adjusted to obtain uniform pull and which may be readily removed from the beam.

The various features of the invention are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Fig. 1 is a side view of the end part of a walking beam and a hanger embodying a preferred form of the invention. v

Fig. 2 is an end view of the hanger shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a side view, similar to that of Fig. 1,

showing a modified arrangement of adjusting mechanism, and

Fig. 4 is an end view of the hanger shown in Fi 3.

In my invention the hanger is mounted on a support at the end of the walking beam in such manner that it can be readily lifted therefrom. The hanger comprises a pair of brackets having sockets into which the ends of a corresponding pair of cables may be secured. Means are provided below the brackets for maintaining the connecting cables in a vertical plane common to the center line of the well as, for example, by means of an arcuate surface, commonly known as a mulehead, against which the pair of cables rest when under a downward pull or tension. The arcuate surface preferably has a curvature centered approximately at the pivotal axis of the walking beam so that as the walking beam tilts upwardly and downwardly, the arcuate surface is always tangent to a vertical line. This enables the plane of the cables to be kept in vertical alignment with the well during the pumping.

The cables are connected below the arcuate surface by means of a yoke. This yoke in turn supports the polished rod that passes through the tubing packing. The polished rod is suspended from the yoke by means of a. spherical block which rests on a corresponding spherical socketin the yoke so that the yoke may tilt freely to a limited extent without exerting any deflecting action on the polished rod. The efiective length of the cables may be varied or adjusted by screw collars at the upper or lower ends so as to maintain the yoke substantially level.

Referring more particularly to the specific embodiments of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, the hanger I0 is mounted on a bracket II on one end of a beam l2. The bracket l I may have an upwardly opening socket in which a cross pin I3 is set and, in turn, supports the hanger Ill. The hanger I 0 has a pair of brackets l4 and I 4 positioned upwardly and outwardly of the end of the beam l2 so as to wrench or spanner so that they may be rotated or held stationary.

Threaded into each collar I6 is an externally threaded sleeve l9 having squared or hexagon faces 20 near its upper end so that it may be held stationary or rotated by means of a wrench. The inner surface of the sleeve I9 is enlarged or tapered outwardly near its upper end as at 2! so that the upper end of a cable 22 may be secured or wedged therein. It will be apparent that by rotating the sleeve IS in the collar IE it may be raised or lowered relative to its' respective bracket M or H, and thus the upper end of each cable may be independently adjusted upwardly or downwardly. A lock nut 23 is pro vided on the lower end of the sleeve Hi to lock against the lower end of the collar l6.

supporting member 24 having an arcuate surface 25 against which the cables 22 rest. The lower end of the member 24 may be braced to the beam l2 by means of a brace or strnt 26. The curvature of the surface 25 is such that the cables 22 will contact with it or be tangent to it at a point directly above the center line of the well so that there will be no weaving back and forth during the tilting of the walking beam. For this purpose the curvature of the surface 25 should be centered approximately on the pivotal axis of the walking beam. As the sarface'fi is merely to prevent side wear, other mechanisms for this purpose may be used.

The cables 22 depend below the member 22 and are spanned near their lower ends by a yoke 21. The yoke 21 is supported from the cables. 22 by means of collars 28, one for each cable, to the cable and having near their lower ends outwardly projecting flanges 29 upon which rest the wings of the yoke 21 which have openings through which the collars 25 project. A vertical opening 30 is formed in the yoke 23 midway of the cables 22 and collars 21. This opening 30 enlarges slightly toward its lower end and at its upper end opens into a spherical depression in which is seated a semi-spherical supporting block 3|. The polished rod 32 extends upwardly through the opening 3|] and through an aligned opening in the spherical block 3| and is supported on the block 3| by clamps 33 which test on the upper surface of the block 3| Through the abeve construction it will be apparent that by adjusting the height of the sleeve I9 in the collar l6 by rotating the latter in one direction or the other, the length of the cable, or distance between the points of attachment, of each cable to the outer brackets l3 and the yoke 20 may be independently and individually adjusted to bring the yoke 21 to approximately horizontal position. ,Any slight deviations from horizontal will not, however, be transmitted to the polished rod 32 because the spherical supporting surface of the block 3| will permit the latter to slide freely and enable the rod 32 to maintain a vertical position under the weight of the pumping apparatus and avoid danger of sidewise stresses or bending. The stresses of the supported weight, therefore, being vertical and without side components, and bein'gequi-distant from the cables 22 will transmit equal tensions to the latter, thereby ensuring an equal distribution of the load.

In the modification shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the construction is similar except that the brackets I4 and I4 have upwardly extending openings into which the upper ends of the cables 22 may be expanded and wedged so that the cables are suspended directly at fixed points in the brackets.- The outer ends of the brackets may also be split as at 34 to facilitate inserting and removing the cables. The eables are secured at their lower ends to a sleeve 35 which is similar to the sleeve l9, but in inverted position, and which is similarly threaded into an encircling collar 36 similar to the collar I6 inverted and locked by means of a lock nut 31 similar to the lock nut 23 of Figs. 1 and 2. The collar 38 has an outwardly flared lower end which supports the yoke 21 which is similar to that of Figs. 1 and 12. The yoke in turn supports the polished rod 32 by means of the spherical block 3| and a clamp 33 as described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2. It

be evident that the distance between the "upper support of each cable and its attachment to the yoke 21 may be independently or individually adjusted in nection with .Figs. and 2, the connections being similar, but inverted.

It will be understood that the'above specific description is given by way of illustration, and that various modifications and design may be employed.

What I claim is- 1. A beam hanger for well pumps which comprises a support having an arcuate surface centered approximately on the pivotal axis of the.

beam, a pair of spaced brackets on said support above said arcuate surface, a pair of cables secured to said brackets and depending downwardly on said arcuate-surface, a yoke secured tc said cables below said surface, a depending rod supported on the yoke between said cables, and means to adjust individuallythe distance between the connection of the yoke with each of said cables and the connection of each of said cables with its respective bracket while said connections are assembled.

2. A beam hanger for well pumps which comprises a support having an arcuate surface centered approximately on the pivotal axis of the beam, a pair of spaced brackets on said support above said arcuate surface, a pair of cables secured to said brackets and depending downwardly on said arcuate surface, a yoke secured to said cables below said surface, a depending rod supported on the yoke between said cables, a block of spherical curvature secured to said rod and supported in a spherically curved recess in said yoke, and means to adjust individually the distance between the connectionof the yoke with each of said cables and the connection of each of said cables with its respective bracket while said connections are assembled.

3. A beam hanger fc-r well pumps which comprises a support having a pair of spaced brackets, a pair of cabies suspended from said brackets, means below said brackets to maintain a suspended length of cable in alignment with the fixed center linefa yoke secured to the lower' ends' of said cables, and means independently to adjust the length of each sable between the yoke and its respective bracket while said hang is assembled. I

4. A beam hanger for well pumps which comprises a suppert having a pair of spaced brackets, a of cables suspended from said brackets, means below said brackets to maintain a suspended length of cable in alignment with a fixed center line, a yoke secured to the lower ends of said cables, and means en said brackets individually to adjust the length of said cables between said brackets and said yokes while said hanger is assembled.

5. A beam hanger for well pumps which comprises a support having a pair of spaced brackets, a pair of cables suspended from said brackets, means below said brackets to maintain a suspended length of cable in alignment with a fixed center, a yoke secured to the lower ends of said cables, and means on said yoke individually to adjust the length of said cables between said brackets and said yoke-while said hanger is assembled.

6. A beam hanger for well pumps which comprises a support having a pair of spaced brackets,

a pair of cables suspended from said brackets,

means below said brackets to maintain a suspended length of cable in alignment with a fixed center line, a yoke secured to the lower ends of the same manner as in con-.

2,107,488 said cables, means individually to adjust the fixed center line, a yoke secured to the lower ends of said cables, means individually to adjust the length of said cables between said brackets and said yoke while assembled, a rod extending through said yoke midway of said cables, means to suspend said rod from said yoke, said means having a spherical surface and said yoke having a spherical recess to receive said means.

8.- A beam hanger for well pumps which comprises a support having a pair of spaced brackets, a pair of cables suspended from said brackets, means below said brackets to maintain a suspended length of cable in alignment with a fixed center line, a yoke secured to the lower ends of said cables, means individually to adjust the length of said cables between said brackets and said yoke while assembled, a. support for mounting on a beam and having an upwardly opening recess, and said hanger having supporting elements seating into said recess.

9. A beam hanger for well pumps which comprises a. pair of cables, means to support the upper ends of said cables, a yoke connected to the lower ends of said cables, and means to adjust the support of said cables to shorten the distance individually between the upper support of said cables and said yoke while assembled.

10. A beam hanger for well pumps which comprises a pair of cables, means to support the upper ends of said cables, a yoke connected to the lower ends of said cables; means to adjust the support of said cables to shorten the distance individually between the upper support of said cables and said yoke while assembled, and rods suspended from said yoke midway between said cables to swing freely in all directions.

11. A removable beam hanger for well pumps which comprises a mulehead with brackets extending therefrom, a plurality of cables suspended from said brackets, a yoke secured at the lower end of said cables and means individually to adjust the'length of said cables between said brackets and said yoke while assembled.

12; The apparatus of claim 3, in which the adjusting means comprises an internally threaded outer sleeve and an externally threaded inner sleeve within the outer sleeve and gripping an end of its respective cable.

13. The apparatus of claim 3, in which the adjusting means comprises an internally threaded outer sleeve and an externally threaded inner sleeve within the outer sleeve and gripping an end of its respective cable and a lock nut on said internal sleeve to lock against the external sleeve.

14. The apparatus of claim 3, in which the adjusting means comprises an internally threaded outer sleeve and an externally threaded inner sleeve within the outer sleeve and gripping an end of its respective cable, said outer sleeve having a retaining flange at one end and being held in an opening tapering toward the flanged end.

' AUGUST R. MAIER. 

